"Gandalf!" Elle gasped as the wizard ran to her aid. "Please, help me…" He tried every spell he could think of, but none even cracked the surface of the enchanted rock. As the dwarves were freed, they all came over to try their luck at breaking the fingers trapping their friend, but to no avail. Even Dwalin came to help, but the stone would not budge, not even under his mighty swing. Elle thanked them all sadly as she realized what the only logical next step was.
As the members of the company milled about her gathering up their clothing and equipment, Elle delayed the inevitable for as long as possible. As loath as she was to admit it, she was afraid. To cut a woman's hair entirely was to bring shame upon herself and her family. It was only done in the worst of circumstances, and even then it was an extremely severe punishment among all races.
Carefully taking her injured arm out of her coat, she fashioned herself a sling out of her empty sleeve and a spare strip of leather she found in her pocket. As she performed this task, her mind was occupied with thoughts of her father, and memories of sitting with him as he braided her hair, and told her tales of long, long ago. After her father had died, Elle had stopped braiding her hair, preferring to let it fall freely around her shoulders. It was the one defining feature she had shared with her father, and it helped her remember him. Elle was frightened of what she would forget if she lost this essential part of herself.
"Elle…." A soft voice broke through her reverie, and Elle looked up as Fili knelt down next to her. His gloved hands reached out to help her secure the thong around her folded over sleeve, and Elle sighed sadly.
"I know it has to be done. It'll grow back. Just… give me a moment." She murmured to her friend. Before she even had time to collect herself, she heard Fili swear quietly as strong footsteps approached from behind her. Elle knew who's they were, and a sudden anger boiled in her blood.
"Uncle, no. Please, give her a moment…"
"There's no time. We have to move on." Elle heard a sword being drawn, and Fili swore again. Opening her eyes, Elle looked up swiftly, just as Thorin was about to bring his blade down across her hair. He stopped in surprise, and stared down into Elle's bottomless expression. Her face was pale and drawn, and yet her beauty and strength stunned the dwarf king even then. He lowered his weapon, but could not look away.
"Thorin…" Her voice was hoarse, but firm. Her eyes never left his, "You have made it very clear that you can take away both my pride and my dignity at your own whim, but you may not take them from me today. Not like this." It took the stunned dwarf many seconds to free himself from the gaze from the figure before him, but once he had, he left without a word.
Elle watched him retreat with a frown, but her expression relaxed once she turned back to her friend. "I know it's not rational, but… I'm afraid to lose my hair." She admitted quietly, and Fili sat back on his heels to listen. "It's all I have left of my father… of my dwarf heritage, if you will. Besides, all the women I've ever see with shorn hair were terrible people who'd done terrible things. We used to make up horrible stories about what they'd done… do you remember?" Fili nodded with a small smile. "I just… don't want people to think of me like that." With a resigned sigh, Elle reached into her coat and drew out one of her father's old knives. "Keep as much of it as you can." Despite its age, the blade was sharp, and the ordeal was over in a matter of moments. What was left of her hair was only just long enough to brush the tops of her shoulders. Taking one last deep breath, Elle stood up.
"Would you like me to braid it, Elle?" Fili offered as he steadied his friend, and handed her back the knife. Elle took the blade with a glum "thanks", but she couldn't bring herself to look at Fili. She felt naked without her hair around her shoulders. Her head felt oddly light without the weight of it all.
"Could you?"
Fili nodded and, in a gesture that warmed Elle's heart, he reached into his own hair to pull out one of the bands emblazoned with the runes of his people. Ellie stood still as his quick fingers created two braids, which he fastened together at the back of her head with the metal clasp.
"Fili, I don't know what to say…" Elle said once he'd finished. She turned to face him, and immediately felt self-conscious. She hadn't worn her hair pulled back in decades.
"Ask me how you look." Fili said with a mischievous grin as he admired his work.
"How do I look?"
"Truthfully, you look like an elf."
"Fili!" Elle gasped in mock indignation as a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. Tugging her hood up over her hair, she gave her friend a playful smack, "If it was anyone but you…"
"C'mon, let's head back." Fili said still chuckling. Elle began to follow him, but before they left the clearing, she turned around one last time to blow a loud raspberry at the three trolls that had caused the company so much trouble. Laughing at his friend's childish gesture, Fili took Elle's free hand and helped her through the woods. Just before they came out from under the cover of the trees, Fili turned to Elle with an uncharacteristically serious expression.
"You are one of strongest people I have ever met, Elle, both in spirit and in battle." He began after a moment, "You have shown that to Kili and me countless times, and I know you have shown that to every member of this company today as we fought together. I know I speak for all of us when I say that the loss of your hair is akin to a well-earned battle scar. One you should not be ashamed of." With this, Fili reached up and lowered Elle's hood. Taking her hand once more, he lead her out of the forest and up the small hill to where the company was gathered waiting for the last two members of their party. The dwarves greeted the pair with happy congratulations, and solid thumps on the back. Elle was acutely aware of her appearance, but she seemed to be the only one. Even Dwalin came up to her with a friendly laugh, and gave her a mighty slap on the shoulder, sending a jolt of pain through her swollen arm. Elle was too happy to notice her discomfort, however, and she gave the bigger dwarf a smile in return. Everyone was glad to have made it out victorious and fairly unscathed. Bombur was sporting a nasty looking bump on his head from when he'd been thrown, and Kili's seemed a bit sore from being landed on, but no one had suffered any injuries worse than a dislocated elbow; a minor miracle when one considered what could have happened
OOOOO
Having made it through the crowd, Elle grabbed her packs, and brought them over to where Bilbo was standing quietly petting the nose of his pony.
"Well done, Bilbo!" She exclaimed bending down slightly to wrap him in a tight, one armed embrace.
"So you caught on then?" He asked with a slight smile, "I have to admit, I was worried some of the dwarves would get free just to come at me! I didn't really know what I was doing half the time."
"Somehow, I could tell." Elle laughed softly.
"I'm… just glad it all worked out." Elle knew how he felt. The feeling of having faced death and survived was one even the bravest of fighters never quite got over. "But what happened to your arm?" Bilbo asked suddenly shaking himself out of his daze.
"I fell on it when that stupid oaf dropped me," Elle looked down at her arm in its makeshift sling.
"Does it hurt?"
"Not so much anymore. I'm hoping Gandalf will look at it for me, but I haven't seen him since he rescued us from the trolls. Do you know where he's gone?"
"I heard him and Thorin talking earlier about caves… I guess that's where we're getting ready to head off to."
Looking around, Elle saw that Gandalf and Thorin both were indeed nowhere to be seen. Just then, a cheery voice called out to Bilbo.
"So! I hear all those ridiculous things ye were sayin' were just a stall for time then, ay master hobbit?" Elle smiled as Bofur came over to them.
"Well, that was the general idea…" Bilbo shrugged modestly.
"It flew right over my head, that's for sure… but I'm glad at least one of us has something solid between their shoulders." He clapped Bilbo on the back heartily, and the hobbit nearly toppled forward.
"Ay, and good work by you as well!" The kind dwarf said turning to Elle with something resembling a proud smile. Elle felt a blush spreading across her face. Before she could voice her thanks, a loud voice called out to the dwarves. "We've found the troll's cave." Elle looked to see Thorin standing a little ways up the path by the forest, "Don't pack the ponies, it's just over the hill."
As the group moved off, Elle tried to slip her staff back into place on her back. Seeing her struggling, Bofur reached out to help.
"I have to say that's a mighty weapon you've got."
"Thank you, Bofur." Elle said smiling, but her embarrassment was no less. She was having a hard time looking at people. Her shorn hair made her feel naked and exposed. Noticing the embarrassment lurking just behind the surface of her smile, Bofur reached out to carefully tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "You look as brave and as beautiful as they day I met ye, lassie. Ye don't need hair to tell ye who ye are, or where ye belong for that matter. After today there's not a one of us who'd deny it. You belong right here… with us. Both a ye's." Bilbo and Elle exchanged a look, and Elle saw her own happiness reflected back at her through the hobbit's eyes. He gave her a satisfied shrug, and they followed the rest of the dwarves over the hill to the caves beyond.
